Stretch of River Road in Montgomery Co. closed through weekend for emergency work

A hole in River Road has sparked emergency repairs. (Courtesy Maryland State Highway Administration)

A hole in River Road has sparked emergency repairs. (Courtesy Maryland State Highway Administration)
The hole in River Road that has sparked emergency repairs. (Courtesy Maryland State Highway Administration)
Maryland highway officials say this broken pipe caused the hole in River Road. Emergency crews are working through the weekend to patch up the road. (Courtesy Maryland State Highway Administration)
Maryland highway officials say this broken pipe caused the hole in River Road. Emergency crews are working through the weekend to patch up the road. (Courtesy Maryland State Highway Administration)
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A hole in River Road has sparked emergency repairs. (Courtesy Maryland State Highway Administration)
Maryland highway officials say this broken pipe caused the hole in River Road. Emergency crews are working through the weekend to patch up the road. (Courtesy Maryland State Highway Administration)
A section of River Road in Montgomery County, Maryland, that carries thousands of drivers each day is expected to be closed through the weekend for emergency repairs after a large hole opened in the roadway.

The Maryland State Highway Administration said crews are working around the clock to repair pavement on River Road in Potomac between Longacres Preserve Court and Esworthy Road.

River Road is also known as Maryland 190. Drivers traveling in the area will be detoured from to Esworthy Road, then onto Seneca Road and then back onto River Road. Residents who live nearby will be allowed onto River Road up to the point of the closure.

The hole in the road is not technically a sinkhole, said Charlie Gischlar, spokesman for the highway administration. Instead, it was caused by a drain pipe that had been compromised, he said.

Repairs to the road will most likely last through the weekend and into the early part of the workweek, he said. Road crews have to excavate the roadway, remove and replace the pipe and then backfill and resurface the roadway.

Below is a map of the section of River Road that is closed for repairs:

Jack Moore

Jack Moore joined WTOP.com as a digital writer/editor in July 2016. Previous to his current role, he covered federal government management and technology as the news editor at Nextgov.com, part of Government Executive Media Group.

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